Bye Bye Buddy

The other day my mami was really sad. When I asked her why she told me it was because one of her favorite doggies in the whole wide world had passed away. He was her family's pet and a little brother to my mami & her brother. He was my Uncle Riley. Although I never got to meet him, I did mami did tell me some stories about him and I could tell that she loved him just as much as she loves me.

When my mami was 15 years old, her family had another pet, Toby, that also passed away. The following summer when they felt like they were ready for another pet, they went to go pick up Riley Jaxx. Mami, Uncle Ryan and Grandmami drove about an hour away to get him and brought him back home in a laundry basket (kind of like how I spent first few days). He was really little and they were all a little nervous to live with something so little, but as time went on, he grew up and became their best pal.

Mami says that Riley was smart. He was a loyal friend and protector to the family. He played in the yard, danced for treats, chased them in circles around the house and cuddled up with them every night. He never wanted to leave their sides. When mami left for college, Riley became Uncle Ryan's best friend. And then one day when Uncle Ryan moved away too, Riley spent his time with Grandmami & Grandpapi. The whole family loved him very much.

Mami knew that Uncle Riley was getting older and sometimes had a hard time seeing and hearing, but still it is very sad for her and all of her family. My mami knows how to find a silver lining in every sad story though. She said the day we went out to enjoy the kites was a celebration for All Saint's Day. The kites work like messengers to let the people in Heaven know that their families still love them and think about them and want to communicate with them. Mami says that although it is really sad that Uncle Riley passed away, it is nice to know that it happened on such an important day and for sure now Uncle Riley is an angel in Heaven. Mami says he is my angel and will watch over me and protect me.

She also told me that we don't need to be sad because Uncle Riley is happy now. He isn't hurting and he isn't lonely. He misses his people family, but he has meet up with his angel family. Probably even right now, Uncle Riley is froliking and playing in a park with some of our family's other special people who live in Heaven too, like Toby & his sister Henni. Mami said that she knows her Mama Master is playing with them too. She really loved animals. I think even when we go back to Colorado we will carry on the Guatemalan tradition and always fly a kite on that day in honor of our friends in Heaven.

Certainly I wish that I could have met my Uncle Riley, but I'm happy to know that he had such a great life. It makes me certain that I will have a good life too filled with lots of love.